Apart from the peculiar tenets of individual thinkers, there is also in the world at large an increasing inclination to stretch unduly the powers of society over the individual, both by force of opinion and even by that of legislation; and as the tendency of all changes taking place in the world is to strengthen society and to diminish the power of the individual, this encroachment is not one of the evils which tend spontaneously to disappear, but, on the contrary, to grow more and more formidable. The disposition of mankind whether as rulers or as fellow citizens, to impose their own opinions and inclinations as a rule of conduct on others, is so energetically supported by some of the best and some of the worse feelings incident to human nature, that it it hardly ever kept under restraint by anything, but want of power; and as the power is not declining, but growing, unless a strong barrier of moral conviction can be raised against the mischeif, we must expect, in the present circumstances of the world, to see it increase.
--From
John Stuart Mill,
On Liberty

Hi Robert, Thanks for your return letter in reference to my "Downsizing of America". I have posted it on various sites on the web, and so far all comments have been positive. Even from much younger people. I submitted it to CNN's new feedback page but so far they have ignored it. Maybe corporate creeps is too strong for them.